Growing up in Singapore

While my grandfather was still alive, it was his idea that me, my sis and our cousins would move to Singapore to study. Indonesia during the 1980's was under the regime of Soeharto, which forbids the teaching of anything chinese.
Therefore we (Sina, Siman, Silvia, me and Sherlia) all moved to Singapore at a young age starting from Kindergarden (age 5-6) moving on to Primary then Secondary school education, till we graduated from the O'levels. It was this decision that allowed all of us to be able to speak proficiently in English, barely manageable Mandarin, and in broken Bahasa Indonesia when we grew up.

It must have been God's plan that my granddad was seated beside Auntie Lim during the flight to Singapore. Striking up a conversation on the plane he explained that he wanted his grandchildren to study in Singapore but he needed a host parent that was able to take good care of us. Auntie Lim who's a single mum and a teacher, eventually agreed to undertake this task.

Starting from my sis, one by one we moved to Singapore when we were 6 years old. Although we were away from our parents and the rest of our family, we were being treated as part of the Lim's (Auntie Lim, poh poh, Hui Cece, Hin Koko, Nge Koko and Anula the maid, there was a dog, I can't remember the name or find any pictures of it).

Through the few years that I had stayed with Auntie Lim and her family, I felt that Auntie Lim's strictness in enforcing discipline in us, while we were still young had become a strong foundation for us to grow up upon. We were really blessed that she took really good care of us.

Here's some photos of us during our childhood as compiled by Auntie Lim:

Po po, Kamala, Sina, Silvia, David, Siman

That was us in front of Mc Donalds, if I wasnt' mistaken this was one of the first Mc Donalds to ever open in Singapore. It was in 1987 and that's the year I first moved to Singapore. (Look at how high I pull my pants up, it must be the fashion of that time, lol)

Here's us having our first french fries and hamburgers.

Siman, Silvia, Dave, Sina, Auntie Lim

 With Auntie Lim at the Singapore Zoo or was it called the Zoological Gardens.

On the merry go round in the Singapore Zoo.

Dave, Silvia, Sina, Siman

In front of the monkey exhibit, is that Ah Meng (Singapore's celebrity Monkey)?

This is a picture taken with the Lim household at 1 Lim Po Avenue. There's Hin Koko, Hui Cece and Ngee Koko.

And this is Chicken Little, signing off from the Singapore Zoological Gardens, 1989.